


Then the charm is firm and good

by angelsaves



Category: Bell Book and Candle (1958)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fix-It, Podfic Welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-13 15:20:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16895076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsaves/pseuds/angelsaves
Summary: What if Gil's powers were only gone temporarily?





	Then the charm is firm and good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DeCarabas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeCarabas/gifts).



It was Christmas Eve, it was snowing outside, and Gil's toes itched. She slipped out of her pumps and left them arranged neatly by the door, in case she had to go out of doors. She didn't think that was likely -- Shep was due home soon, and he'd promised to bring supper with him -- but one never knew.

Then there was a familiar scratching sound, and before Gil quite knew what she was doing, she found herself opening the door and abruptly gaining an armful of Siamese cat.

"Pyewacket?" she asked in disbelief, letting the door slam shut.

"Mrow," he replied, unconcerned, as if he'd been gone for a few hours at the most.

"Pyewacket, what on earth? Auntie will be missing you!"

"Mrow." Pyewacket braced his paws on her left shoulder and groomed her ear. Apparently he disagreed.

"Well, all right. I'll pour you some milk." Gil did so, and Pyewacket jumped neatly down to slake his thirst with dainty flicks of his tongue.

The door opened again, and Shep blew in with a blast of snowy air. "Oh, I see we have a guest for supper!" he said genially. "Hello, Pyewacket, how have you been?"

"Mrow," Pyewacket told him, sitting up to clean milk from his whiskers.

"Oh, good, I've been well too." Shep coughed. "And you, Gil? You look well. I've always liked you in black."

Gil looked down at herself, mildly surprised to see that she was, indeed, dressed in black. "Why, thank you, darling," she said.

"Have you been engaging in -- what did you call them? Early American activities, again?" Shep asked.

"Why, no," Gil said. "You know I lost my powers when I fell in love with you, and that surely hasn't changed."

"I know that," Shep said comfortably. He set down the bags of hot food on the low table and kissed her, which she was glad to find was just as satisfying as ever. "But you look -- oh, I don't know. More like you did when I first met you. I thought maybe the no-powers thing had just -- worn off."

"I don't think that happens," Gil said, but there was a twinge of doubt. "At least, I've never heard of it."

Shep sat down and started getting out the food, little dishes of Chinese origin that they'd both become quite fond of. "Have you heard of many witches who fell for humans and, well, stayed fallen?"

"Well, no," Gil had to admit.

"Let's test it." Shep gave her a devilish grin. "Gillian Holroyd, you are not only the most beautiful woman I've ever met, you are also the most delicious woman I've ever had the pleasure of tasting."

"Shep!" Gil clapped her hands to her cheeks reflexively.

"You're not blushing," he pointed out.

It was true; the skin of her face felt no warmer than her hands. "Oh," Gil said.

Shep served her some rice and a stir-fried dish of vegetables and, she thought, duck. "Have you tried any -- you know, magic?" he inquired.

"No," Gil said, scooping up a mouthful of food to buy herself a little time. She chewed it thoroughly and swallowed. "Do you think I ought to?"

Shep nodded vigorously, mouth full, and Gil laughed. He gulped down his food and said, "Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous," Gil said. "Don't you think?"

He shrugged. "It brought us together, didn't it? I've had a lot of time to think, Gil, and I'm happy. Everyone I know is happy for me, too. I just don't think anything that got me here could be all that bad."

"But -- the book," Gil said. "Mr. Redlitch --"

"-- took advantage of your brother, and you wanted me not to publish it." Shep shrugged again. "So I didn't."

"If that's how you see it," Gil said.

"Yup," Shep agreed, "that's how I see it."

"What about the thunderstorms?" she asked, a little desperately. "I nearly drove poor Merle mad."

"Poor Merle was a pill," Shep said, "and you were young. Young people are cruel. Would you do it now?"

His eyes were so blue. "I might," she said, just to see what his response would be.

"But you'd think about it first, wouldn't you?" He leaned forward over the nearly-empty plates. "That's what matters. To me, anyway."

"Oh, Shep." She came around the table and kissed him, and he returned the kiss with interest, sinking one hand into her hair to keep her where he wanted her.

"Mrow," said Pyewacket, pawing at Gil's elbow.

"Not now, you," Shep said, breaking the kiss but not releasing his grip on Gil. "We're busy." He kissed her neck, then, where she was very sensitive, and she gasped and arched her back, urging him on.

" _Mrow_ ," Pyewacket said, more urgently this time, adding a hint of claw.

"Pye, what is it?" Gil asked, eyes closed. "All right, if you're both going to insist --" She flicked her fingers, and with a _twang_ , the lights in the apartment all went off at once.

"Oh, wow," Shep said, nuzzling under Gil's ear. "You did that?"

"I did that," Gil said, glancing over Shep's head to see her own fingers. They looked just the same as they always had.

"God, I want you," he murmured. "Will you let me take you, right now?"

"Yes," Gil said. "Pyewacket, go to Queenie's, or -- or just -- Shep! Wait a moment --"

Shep didn't stop undressing her, but at least someone listened: Pyewacket made himself scarce before Shep finished making her naked. "There," he said, when her clothes were in a pile behind her, and flattened himself on the floor between her thighs.

"Oh, _Shep,_ " she said, realizing how he meant to have her. "Do you really --"

"Oh, _Gil_ ," he returned. "Yes, I do." He bowed his silvery head and put his mouth on her, and Gil dropped back onto her elbows, letting him.

He was so good at this, at pleasuring her, that sometimes Gil wondered how he'd learned it. Surely not from _Merle_ \-- but it was none of her business, and truly, she didn't care. Not as long as he kept doing _this_ with his tongue, and _that_ with his fingers, and ah!

Shep pulled away, and Gil let out a soft moan of distress. "Did the lights just flicker?" he asked. "--Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." His knuckle grazed that spot inside of her, and oh! "They did," he said wonderingly.

"Surely not," Gil said, her voice almost steady. "I haven't lost control of my magic like that since I was a girl. Do it again."

Shep's eyes crinkled at the corners, as though he knew exactly what she was about. "Oh, I will," he said, and he did, and the lights really did flicker.

"I've got to get that under control," Gil muttered. "Don't stop -- oh --"

The lights came up to full brightness as he brought her to climax, then dimmed slowly as she came down from the heights of it.

"A real witch," Shep said, pillowing his head on her shoulder and tracing patterns on her belly, lazily, with one fingertip. "A witch of my very own."

"Yes," Gil said. "Of your very own." She kissed his forehead. "Merry Christmas."


End file.
